Material folding device



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} MATERIAL FOLDING DEVICE Filed March 6, lee 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 ig lo FIG. a

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MATERIAL FOLDING DEVICE Filed March 6, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ANTHONY G. TUCCI BY wyw ATTORN EY A.- G. TUCCI MATERIAL FOLDING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FEG. 9A

FIG.

Jan; 27, 1970 Filed March 6, 1968 FIG mm E F United States Patent O 3,491,926 MATERIAL FOLDING DEVICE Anthony G. Tucci, 9602 103rd Ave., Ozone Park, N.Y. 11429 Filed Mar. 6, 1968, Ser. No. 711,007 Int. Cl. A41h 33/00 US. Cl. 223-38 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is directed generally to a device for folding cloth in the manufacture of garments and specifically to a device for folding the edges, in fixed position, of a piece of suitable material, such as, for example, in the manufacture of cloth belts, pockets, pocket flaps, epaulets, and the like. Briefly, the device comprises a pair of dies adapted to fold a piece of material into the desired configuration, said dies acting in association with a conveyor belt, which conveyor belt serves to draw the workpiece at the appropriate time into a suitable pressing unit which renders the folds in the desired fixed position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention relates generally to a device for folding cloth in the manufacture of garments and more particularly to a device for folding a piece of cloth which will resultingly adapt it for use as a belt, epaulet, pocket, or the like.

Description of the prior art In the manufacture of garments such as shirts, dresses, uniforms, and the like, it is, of course, well known to provide belts, epaulets, pockets, and pocket flaps therefor which are afiixed to the garment bysuitable means, such as sewing. The belts, epaulets, and pockets, etc., are formed by inwardly folding the edges of a piece of material into the desired configuration which the workpiece is intended to have; for example, a rounded pocket, a straight pocket, an epaulet with a triangular shaped end, a belt with rounded ends, merely to name a few illustrations. It is a problem that once the workpiece is folded it must be manitained in that condition until it is attached to the intended garment. One prior art method leaves the workpiece in the folding dies for periods of time ranging from 30 to 60 seconds or more in order to fix the folds. This time span required to fix the folds can be economically fatal to mass production methods extant today. In still another prior art attempt to remedy the problem, the workpiece must be fed directly into a sewing machine which immediately affixes the folded material onto the garment. This device, of course, requires that the sewing operation not be postponed, since the folds in the material would be obliterated otherwise. Thus, the manufacturer is not able to make his pockets or belts beforehand and store them until the sewing operation is scheduled. It can be seen that this is a very inefficient method of operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, among one of the principal objectives of the invention to provide a folding device for making belts, epaulets, pockets, pocket flaps, and the like, which will render the folds thereof in fixed position.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a novel material folding device comprising a pair V of dies adapted to fold a workpiece into a desired configuration, said dies acting in association with a conveyor belt, which conveyor belt, when actuated, serves to draw 3,491,926 Patented Jan. 27, 1970 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention will be hereinafter more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partially fragmented and in cross-section, showing the relative positions of the invention folding device, conveyor belt and pressing unit.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the folding device showing a workpiece for a pocket inserted therein and partially folded according to the invention.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 except that now the workpiece has been folded to its desired configuration, as shown by a cut-out.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the folding device in another embodiment thereof, and used for folding epaulets.

FIG. 5 is a view in cross-section taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the device in another embodiment which is employed for folding belts or straps.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the device of FIG. 6 as here shown in detached relationship.

FIG. 8 illustrates a workpiece used to fold a pocket.

FIG. 8A illustrates the folded pocket using the device of FIG. 2.

FIG. 9 illustrates a workpiece suitable for folding into an epaulet.

FIG. 9A illustrates the workpiece of FIG. 9 just after folding using the invention device of FIG. 4.

FIG. 9B illustrates the final step in making the epaulet.

FIG. 10 illustrates the workpiece to be used in the device of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10A illustrates the workpiece of FIG. 10 after folding,

FIG. 11 is a top plan view, partially fragmented, of the folding device in another embodiment thereof, and used for folding pockets having a broader base than the top, e.g., a patch pocket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the figures of the drawing, for purposes of illustration, FIG. 1 depicts the invention folding device 10, a conveyor belt system 12 acting in association therewith, and a steam pressing unit 14 (partially shown), whose function, one to the other, will be subsequently more fully described hereinbelow.

The folding device 10 (FIGS. 2 and 3) comprises an outer die member 16, an inner die member 18, and a pair of sliding folding members 20, connected to suitable conventional actuating means 22 (partially shown).

Outer die member 16 is generally preferably rectangularly shaped, although it may also be square shaped, having a pair of parallel opposing side members 24 which are joined, in smoothed edge relation, and at right angles to a forward cross member 30. At the upper end 32 of side members 24 are provided a pair of inwardly directed opposing angular-urging members 34. Angular urging members 34 are disposed so that an imaginary line drawn connecting the angular sides 36 would intersect at a point within the horizontal plane of cross member 30. Joined and in smooth edged relation to cross member 30 is provided a tongue member 40, substantially rectangularly shaped. Tongue 40 is joined to cross member 30 at a longitudinal edge 42 thereof and slopes slightly downwardly from the horizontal plane of cross member 30. A T-bar urging member 44 is provided along the generally central portion of inner longitudinal edge 46, integral therewith, but within the space provided by angular urging members 34.

A sliding folding member is superimposedly provided on each of side members 24 and in sliding relation therewith. The leading ends 50 of folding members 20 are in the same angular relation as angular urging members 34, and moreover, members 20 angularly slide along the upper surface 52 of side members 24 by means of angularly disposed channels 54 provided through folding members 20, within which channels 54 ride rivets 56, said rivets 56 also serving to slidingly mount folding members 20 on side members 24. Thus, folding members 20 are adapted to slide both inwardly and upwardly, for reasons to be more fully discussed hereinbelow. It is to be understood that all the aforementioned angular dispositions are substantially equal.

Inner die member 18 is preferably generally rectangularly shaped, although it may also be square shaped, e.g., it will depend on the shape of the material to be folded, such as a shirt pocket, and is sized to fit slidingly within the space provided by opposing side members 24 and cross member 30. Inner die 18 may be connected to conventional automatic lifting means (not shown) by means of connecting bar 60, although it is to be understood that the invention folding device need not be connected to automatic actuating means, since it may also be manually operated, for reasons to be described, while the other end 64 has its respective corners 66 cut off to form preferably the substantially same angular disposition as angular sides 36 of urging members 34, i.e., corners 66 are parallel to angular sides 36.

Describing now the preferred operation of the invention, a suitable workpiece 70 (FIG. 8), to be folded into a pocket, is positioned over the U-shaped space provided by opposing side members 24 and cross member 30. Workpiece 70 is wider than the U-shaped aperture so that its edges may be resultingly folded as shown by FIG. 8A. The inner die 18 is then automatically (by conventional means), or manually tripped over the workpiece 70, and sliding folding members 20 are actuated by conventional actuating means 22, sliding upwardly and forwardly over the side edges 72 of the workpiece 70 folding them thereunder, as shown by FIG. 2. Note that angular urging members 34 and T-bar urging member 44 are urging angularly cut corners 74 and leading edge 76 of workpiece 70 into a folded condition and also provide for a neat 4 thickness fold. 'Cut corners 74 are preferably in the generally same angular dispositions, as aforementioned with respect to corners 66 of die 18, although not necessarily so. However, the angle of angular side 36 and corners 66 will determine the angle of the fold on the pocket, it is to be understood. In the neXt step, FIG. 3, the outer die 16 is actuated rearwardly in the direction of the arrow, either by automatic conventional means (not shown) connected to connecting bar 17 on outer die 16, or manually, so that the material of the workpiece 70 is folded under by T-bar 44 and urging members 34 and is carried under the corresponding portion of the outer die 16 (i.e., portions 30 and 40) forming a neat angular 4 thickness fold 80 as shown in the circular cut-out of FIG. 3. The sliding folding members are then withdrawn (note two-headed arrows on actuating means 22 denoting oscillating capacity thereof) to their starting position, i.e., superimposed over side members 24. Thence, the inner die 18 is withdrawn to its starting position, as shown in FIG. 2, leaving the folded edges of the workpiece in that condition by virtue of their being held under the corresponding portions of the outer die 30 and 40. Finally, the conveyor belt 82 (FIG. 1) connected to suitable conventional power means (not shown) is actuated forward in the direction of the arrow under the reference numeral, and the workpiece 70 is resultingly carried forward and fed under a suitable pressing iron 14, preferably a steam iron, thereby setting the folds in fixed potition, as more fully shown in FIG. 8A. Thus, the folding device of the invention is also adapted to be used with an existing conveyor presser 4 described in US. 3,107,447. The finished pocket 84 is now substantially permanently folded and may be sewed to the main garment for which it is intended, e.g., shirt, dress, or suit, at the desired appropriate time in the production operation. The downward slope of tongue member 40 serves to keep the folds passing thereunder in a tight condition until they are set by the said pressing iron.

As was mentioned heretofore, the end 62 of inner die 18 may preferably have rounded corners. This is to prevent the die 18 hanging up on the material as it is withdrawn to its starting position, as would happen with a square corner. In another mode of operating the invention device, but less preferred than the one just described, the outer die 16 is maintained in a fixed position, while the inner die 18 is actuated forward in the direction of the arrow, either by automatic conventional means, not shown, or manually, and the conveyor belt is actuated forward so that the belt and die 18 act together to move the workpiece 70 forward for a fixed amount so that the leading end 64 of die 18 and the material of the said workpiece which is resultingly folded thereover, as before, are carried under the corresponding portion of outer die 16 (i.e., portions 30 and 40, as before). The remainder of the folding operation then continues as heretofore described.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, therein is illustrated another embodiment of the invention and that is a folding device suitable for making epaulets or belts. As before, the device 100 comprises an outer die member 102 and an inner die member 104, and a pair of sliding folding members 106, connected to suitable conventional actuating means 108 (partially shown).

Outer die member 102 is generally rectangularly shaped having a pair of opposing side members 110 which are joined, and at right angles, to a forward cross member 112. Cross member 112 may extend all the way to the outer longitudinal edges of side members 110, however, this is not necessary to the invention. A triangular shaped urging member 114 is integrally joined to cross member 112 with the base of said triangle being disposed against said cross member in a generally central location thereof. Integrally joined to cross member 112 along a perpendicular bisector line of said triangle and emerging at a vertical right angle therefrom is a guide bar 116 whose function is to aid in the placement of the workpiece over the outer die and incidentally to arrest the forward motion of inner die member 104 or the rearward motion of outer die 102 during the folding operation. A spring leaf plate 118 is joined to urging member 114 and projects forward under cross member 112 and partially under tongue member 120, said tongue member being generally rectangular shaped and joined to cross member 112 along a longitudinal edge 122 thereof. Tongue member also slopes slightly downwardly from the horizontal plane of cross member 112.

At the upper end of side members 110 are provided a pair of inwardly directed opposing angular urging members 124, said urging members being disposed so that an imaginary line drawn connecting the angular sides 126 there f would intersect at a point within the horiziontal plane of cross member 112. Cross member 112 has a pair of opposing urging ports 128 whose function is to guide or urge the points of the epaulet workpiece therethrough, and to provide for a neat 4 thickness fold.

Inner die member 104 is shaped substantially to conform to an open epaulet (i.e., before joining) FIG. 9 for example, and that is initially a pair of parallel opposing side edges 130, said side edges tapering towards the twinpointed end of die 104. The angular sides forming the twin pointed ends 132 are in angular association with the angular sides of urging member 114 and urging members 124. It is to be noted that opposing side members 110 are adapted by inner edges 134 to conform to the general shape of inner die 104 so that outer die 102 is resultingly adapted to receive inner die member 104.

Inner die 104 and outer die 102 may be connected to conventional automatic lifting means (not shown) by means of connecting bars 136 and 13-7, respectively, or may be operated manually as before.

A sliding folding member 106 is superimposedly provided on each of side members 110 and in sliding relation therewith, and are otherwise adapted to function as heretofore described in the embodiment as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

In order to fold the desired epaulet, a workpiece 140 is provided which is shaped substantially to conform to inner die 104, except that it is wider than die 104 so that its top and side edges may be resultingly folded as shown in FIG. 9A. The workpiece 140 is folded by the same operations as described heretofore (FIGS. 2 and 3.). Note, however, that twin points 142 of the workpiece are separated by a vertical slash 144 so that arrest bar 115 may be receivingly accommodated. Finally, as shown in FIG. 9B, the finished epaulet 146 is provided by folding the folded workpiece 141 upon itself along the vertical plane thereof and the borders are then stitched by a suitable sewing machine.

Turning now to the embodiment as shown by FIGS. 6 and 7, a folding device 150 is illustrated which is adapted to fold belts and hooks such as shown in FIG. A. Folding device 150 comprises again an outer die 152 and an inner die 154.

Outer die 1-52 is substantially U shaped and is formed by a pair of parallel opposing side members 156 having mounted thereon a tongue member 158 which is substantially rectangularly shaped and slopes downwardly towards its leading edge 160. The curved portion 162 of the U is raised so that it acts to arrest inner die 154 and also to urge the rounded end 164 and edges 165 of workpiece 166 into a folded condition, as shown by FIG. 10A; The operation of folding the belt of hook workpiece 166 is the same as described heretofore, to form the folded product 168, Note that the rounded edges and long sides are neatly folded in. A belt or hook is formed by sewing two of these together in folded edge to'edge relationship. While the outer die 152 may have sliding folding member provided, as heretofore described, it is not essential to this embodiment.

Inner die 154 is shaped to conform substantially to the U shaped cut-out of outer die 152 so that it may be slidingly received therein.

Finally, referring to still another embodiment of the invention shown by FIG. 11, which shown a set of dies adapted to fold a patch pocket, i.e., a pocket whose base is wider than the top of the pocket. A folding device 200 is provided which comprises a pair of collapsible dies, outer die 202, and inner die 204. The two parts of outer die 202 are adapted to slide one over the other, while the two parts of inner die 204 are connected by a collapsible linkage 206. The component parts of inner die are generally pear shaped while the inner edges of the component parts of outer die 202 associatingly conform to receive such pear shape. In order to fold a patch pocket, a workpiece is placed over the inner edges of the outer die 202 and, then the inner die is placed thereover, as before, with the linkage 206 being in the rigid condition, as shown in FIG. 11. Next, the component parts of outer die 202 are laterally drawn towards one another, in the direction of the arrows, so that the side edges of the material are folded under the inner edges of die 202. Thence, as earlier described, the folds are brought up under the leading portion of outer die 202. However, now the inner die 204 cannot, because of its pear shape be withdrawn to its starting position; and thus, the collapsible linkage 206 is employed, which, when it is drawn in the direction of the arrow, collapses it and draws the component parts of the inner die 204 together, and thus, they may be withdrawn from under the outer die. The remainder of the folding operation is the same as earlier described.

The folding device of the invention is made of a suitable material such as metal or plastic. Generally, the in-.

ner die and tongue member of the invention is made of a thin sheet of the material, while the outer die is made of thicker plates. Thus, a tunnel, so to speak, is provided by the thickness of outer die material to allow for passage of the inner die therethrough. The various parts may be made as integral units wherever practical, or may be made of several components parts, as desired. The material to be folded may be any suitable cloth, either made up of natural or synthetic fibers, e.g., cotton, wool, polyester, dacron, nylon, and mixtures thereof.

Thus, by the operation of the invention, a folded component is produced for a garment, which component is fixedly folded in a matter of seconds and need not be immediately sewn to the garment.

What is claimed is:

1. A material folding and creasing device comprising a pair of die members, adapted to fold a workpiece of ma terial into a desired configuration, conveyance means and a pressing unit wherein said die members further comprise an outer die and an inner die, a pair of sliding folding means being slidingly mounted on said outer die, said die members acting in association with said conveyance means, Which conveyance means, when actuated, serve to draw the folded workpiece into said pressing unit whereby said folded workpiece is resultingly fixedly folded.

2. A material folding and creasing device comprising a pair of die members adapted to fold a workpiece of material into a desired configuration, conveyance means and a pressing unit wherein said die members further comprise an outer die and an inner die, a pair of sliding folding means being slidingly mounted on said outer die, said die members acting in association with said conveyance means, which conveyance means, when actuated, serve to draw the folded workpiece into said pressing unit, whereby said folded workpiece is resultingly fixedly folded, wherein said outer die further comprises a pair of parallel opposing side members which are joined to a forward cross member, and are at right angles thereto, an angular urging member being provided at the upper end of each of said side members, a tongue member also being provided on said cross member, a sliding folding member being superimposedly slidingly mounted on each of said members, the leading ends of said folding members being in angular association with said angular urging members, and said folding members being adapted to angularly, inwardly and upwardly slide over the upper surface of said side members, said inner die being shaped and sized to conform to and fit inside the space resulting between said side members and cross member, with the result that a workpiece for a pocket, interposed between said outer die and inner die when said sliding folding members are actuated over the side edges of said workpiece and said inner die is actuated forward towards said tongue member so that the leading edge of said workpiece is folded thereover by the said angular urging members, will conform to configuration of a pocket.

3. A material folding and creasing device comprising a pair of die members adapted to fold a workpiece of material into a desired configuration, convyeance means and a pressing unit wherein said die members further comprise an outer die and an inner die, a pair of sliding folding means being slidingly mounted on said outer die, said die members acting in association with said conveyance means, which conveyance means, when actuated, serve to draw the folded workpiece into said pressing unit whereby said folded workpiece is resultingly fixedly folded, wherein said outer die further comprises a pair of opposing side members which are joined to a forward cross member and are at right angles thereto, a tongue member being provided on said cross member, a triangular shaped urging member being joined to said cross member, by the triangles base in a generally central disposition of the inner edge of said cross member, a guide bar and partially under said tongue member, an angular urging member being provided at the upper end of each of said side members, a sliding folding member being superimposedly slidingly mounted on each of said members, the leading ends of said folding members being in angular association with said angular urging members, and said folding members being adapted to angularly, inwardly and upwardly slide over the upper surface of said side members, said inner die member being shaped substantially to conform to an epaulet blank by having a pair of parallel opposing side edges which terminate and taper towards twin-pointed ends of said inner die, and having its other end a straight base edge at right angles to the parallel opposing side edges, said opposing side members having their respective inner edges shaped to conform to the general outline of said side edges of said inner die so that said outer die is resultingly adapted to receive said inner die member, with the result that a workpiece for an epaulet, interposed between said outer die and inner die when said sliding folding members are actuated over the side edges of said workpiece, said workpiece being shaped to conform to the shape of the inside of said outer die, and being wider than said inside shape, and said inner die is actuated forward towards said tongue member so that the leading twin-pointed edges of said workpiece are folded thereover by said angular urging members, and triangular urging member, will conform to the configuration of an epaulet blank.

4. A material folding and creasing device comprising a pair of die members, adapted to fold a workpiece of material into a desired configuration, conveyance means and a pressing unit, said die members further comprising an outer die and an inner die, said die members acting in association with said conveyance means which conveyance means, when actuated, serve to draw the folded workpiece into said pressing unit, wherein said outer die is substantially U shaped being formed by a pair of parallel opposing side members having mounted thereon, and at right angles thereto, a tongue member which is generally rectangularly shaped, said inner die being shaped to conform substantially to the U shape portion of said outer die so that said inner die is resultingly adapted to be slidably received by said outerdie inside said U shaped portion, the curved portion of said U shape being raised to form an urging member for a workpiece interposed between said outer die and inner die so that when said inner die is actuated forward towards said tongue member the leading end and side edges of said workpiece will be folded thereover, resultingly conforming to the configuration of a belt. I

5. A device according to claim 2 wherein said tongue member slopes downwardly away from said cross member.

6. A device according to claim 3 wherein said tongue member slopes downwardly away from said cross member.'

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein said convey: ance means comprise a conveyor belt connected to motor means, and said pressing unit is a steam iron.

8. A device according to claim 1 wherein said die members further comprise an outer die and inner die, said outer and inner dies being each adapted to be collapsible.

9. A method for folding a piece of material by the de vice of claim 2 which comprises (1) positioning a workpiece over the outer die (2) tripping the inner die over said workpiece (3) actuating the sliding folding means over the resultingly upwardly displaced side edges of said workpiece folding them thereunder (4) actuating said outer die rearwardly thereby also folding the leading edge of said workpiece under said outer die (5) withdrawing said sliding folding means (6) withdrawing said inner die to its starting position, and (7) actuating said conveyance means comprising a motorized conveyor belt and driving said workpiece towards and under the pressing unit, thereby fixing said folds.

10. A method for folding a piece of material by the device of claim 2 which comprises (1) positioning aworkpiece over the outer die, said outer die being in a fixed position (2) tripping the inner die over said workpiece (3) actuating the sliding folding means over the resultingly upwardly displaced side edges of said workpiece folding them thereunder (4) actuating said inner die and said conveyance means forward thereby also folding the leading edge of said workpiece under said outer die (5) withdrawing said sliding folding means (6) withdrawing said inner die to its starting position, and (7) actuating said conveyance means comprising a motorized conveyor belt and driving said workpiece towards and under the pressing unit, thereby fixing said folds.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,048,794 12/ 1912 Bernard et al 112-217 X 1,315,453 9/1919 Bailer 22338 1,420,474 6/1922 Elliott 22338 2,453,623 11/1948 Gilbert et al 22338 2,858,967 11/ 1958 Gilbert 22338 2,880,916 4/1959 Nasset 22338 3,152,736 10/ 1964 Goldberg 22338 3,246,616 I 4/1966 Korioth 112217 X FOREIGN PATENTS 926,667 5/1963 Great Britain.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner GEORGE V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner 

